The performers moved to the beats of drums

The performers moved to the beats of drums, cymbals and the music of flutes, pipes and other instruments — their dances glorified nature, the season of spring, marriage ceremonies and harvest festivals. Clad in simple and colourful costumes, wearing leaves and flowers with the women balancing a number of pots on their heads, they performed with vigour and cheerfulness. At the same venue one saw many remarkable dance forms of Jharkhand such as Chhau, Paika, Khaira, Jhumar Lathi Ghora, Karma, Lagan and Sarul. Heraon Chhau dancers made their arduous life known through songs, which portrayed hunting, harvesting and marriages. The tribes from Kalahandi in Odisha performed Ghumura and retold a tale from legend about the usurpation of the dance by an asura called Karttabiya. Odisha abounds in tribal dance forms and Gubukudu was one such vibrant form that was showcased. Not only do they dance during happy times, the Natua Dan is performed at the time of death. Then there was the Kabui Rongmei or a Naga dance from Manipur. With drums as varied as the rituals, they danced to the accompaniment of khong, shenmu gong, shenkheng and cow horn. On the other hand, the Deori-Bihu dance of Assam was full of vigour and life as the performers gyrated with gay abandon. Likewise, the Bodos of Assam showcased the Bagurumba-Bishuba Sankranti, which is a dance traditionally performed in the middle of April. When asked about the difference between plays written in the past and those from the present, Thiyam replied that the ones to have withstood the rigours of time are still considered contemporary while “good theatre has no present”, it is timeless. A contemporary play is the conscious keeper of the people, facilitating their ability to think. Great plays necessarily disapprove of the status quo like Tagore’s Rakta Karabi as cited by Thiyam. -